Gov. Gavin Newsom signed controversial legislation Monday requiring California school districts to limit student smartphone use during the school day by July 2026. The Phone-Free School Act – AB 3216 – makes California the fifth state to require all public schools to restrict student phone use on school grounds.

California school districts will be required to limit or prohibit the use of smartphones in public schools following Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature of a new bill into law Monday. AB 3216, authored by Republican Assemblymember Josh Hoover of Folsom, requires school districts to adopt a policy to limit or ban phones on school campuses by July 1, 2026.

Calls for crackdowns have mounted with reports of cyberbullying and studies indicating that smartphones are harmful to children’s mental health.